High-Powered Intern

By Matt Hawkins

Shane Garland ’15 enjoyed his summer internship working on cutting-edge nuclear reactors so much he stayed on the job through the Fall 2014 semester. For that extended internship at Corvallis,Oregon-based NuScale Power, Garland received the Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology’s top intern honor through the Smith Career Center.

Garland, a mechanical engineering major from Webster Groves, Missouri, spent the summer and fall working on systems that support NuScale’s new concepts of safe, efficient nuclear reactors. His projects — mostly with AutoCAD drawings and complex calculations — helped the company refine the next generation of energy-transfer systems that provide the world with economical clean energy.

“It’s exciting to be in a cutting-edge business,” he said. “Everyone is so focused that someone submits a patent for a new idea almost every day. It was cool to be in that environment working with people who have great ideas.”

By staying an extra four months, he gained valuable experience in an engineering niche of interest while he explored professional opportunities 2,000 miles from the Midwest’s familiar surroundings.

“Doing something out of my comfort zone was useful,” Garland said. “It taught me how to apply my school knowledge to the real world, which is completely different than the classroom.”

The experience also challenged him to approach tasks with an inquisitive mindset. This, he realized, is a necessity in a field fraught with complex risks.

“Because safety is the number-one concern for the nuclear industry, I learned to not be afraid of asking questions,” Garland said. “As I got comfortable, I realized anyone could bring up an issue that could save time and trouble with the systems in the plant.”

Additionally, the internship shifted caused him to rethink his career path. Instead of heading straight from the Hilltop into the job market, he decided to pursue a graduate degree first.

“Even though I enjoyed the work environment, I had always considered grad school as an option after I worked a bit,” he said. “But the people there convinced me to do my master’s right away.”

As a result, Garland will again head west after graduation to attend Colorado State University in the fall.